Propagation of dahlias by cuttings. Summer cuttings of dahlias

The most common in gardening hybrid species dahlias, which are propagated by seeds, dividing tubers and propagation by cuttings. Let's look at the methods of propagating dahlias in more detail at each stage of this process.

Propagation of dahlias by dividing tubers is the most common and least labor-intensive method. The advantage of this method of propagation is the prevention of aging of the culture.

How and when to divide tubers

The division procedure is carried out at will: in the fall in the process of preparation planting material for storage or in the spring immediately before germination. Dividing tubers in the fall may seem difficult for beginners, since the root buds in the embryonic phase are practically not visible.

In this case, it is better to postpone dividing the tubers until spring, when the buds begin to sprout. But it can be applied a little trick: in the fall, two weeks before digging up the bush, trim the stem. This will provoke the growth of the buds, they will become more noticeable. The buds are located, as a rule, along the circumference of the stem, on the upper section of the tuber.

Experienced gardeners prefer autumn division, explaining this fact:

better preservation of planting material;
ease of working with the material - the tubers have not yet hardened and have an elastic skin;
in the fall there is enough time to work with tubers - you can carry out a thorough inspection and processing of the cuts;
saving time in the spring to do other work in the garden.

Dahlias are dug up with stable sub-zero temperatures established. For most regions, this period falls in the second half of October - the first half of November. You can tell when it’s time to dig up dahlias by looking at a wilted or slightly frozen stem; the flowering period should be completely over by this point.

Dig up dahlias at a distance of 25 cm - 35 cm from the root, around the circumference. This technique allows you to trim long root shoots without damaging the tuber itself.

The stems are cut, leaving shoots no longer than 2 cm - 3 cm; a larger length will lead to rotting and damage to the tubers during storage.
The tubers are washed running water, careful processing will eliminate subsequent infection by infections and pests that are in the soil.
Dead tubers, long suction roots, and any dried and flaccid parts of the rhizome are removed.
Parts that are too light and thin are removed, as they are not shelf-stable and will not produce shoots in the spring.
All rusty and yellow spots, discoloration of the neck also indicates damage to the plant.
The tubers are separated with a sharp, disinfected knife. Disinfection of the instrument is carried out for each excavated rhizome (group of tubers).
The separated tubers are washed again to avoid infection during storage.

You can check the viability of dahlia tubers by placing them in water. The floating tubers are discarded. Heavy tubers that have sunk to the bottom are prepared for storage.

In spring, tubers are removed from storage 14–20 days before planting and inspected. The main sign that the tubers are ready for the division procedure is the awakening of the buds. If the buds (flower growers call them eyes) are not yet visible, the tubers are sprayed with water and placed in a lighted place for germination at an air temperature of +18°C - +23°C. Instead of water, you can use industrial growth activators.

After about two weeks, the tubers are divided using the same algorithm as in the fall. It is desirable that each separated tuber have several eyes.

Processing slices

Before bookmarking winter storage tubers with fresh cuts are treated with fungicides systemic action or a sulfur preparation according to the instructions. The tubers are soaked in the solution for 15 minutes, dried and placed in storage. The same is done after germination of tubers in the spring before planting.

Some gardeners add insecticides to fungicides to eliminate the risk of pest infestation. Even with the most careful inspection, you may miss an insect larva.

In case you don’t have it at hand special means, but you need to act quickly, a solution of pharmaceutical manganese is used.

Cuttings

Cuttings are considered the most productive method of propagation, because from one dahlia you can get 35 - 45 cuttings, each of which will become independent plant.

Cuttings have a number of advantages over tuberous propagation dahlias:

in the process of taking cuttings, early culling of planting material is carried out, whereas when propagated by tubers, a diseased plant can be identified only at the stage of emergence;
dahlias from cuttings increase their vegetative mass and bloom earlier;
dahlias removed from cuttings have higher immunity;
dahlias from cuttings better retain their species characteristics and are distinguished by the purity of the variety;
flowers have more lush and abundant flowering.

True, there are also disadvantages to propagation by cuttings. Due to the peculiarities of germination technology, the plant’s tubers are deformed, the root shoots are bent and intertwined. Several shoots always appear from the tuber, even if it is damaged. An injured cutting never survives.

The number of tubers and their size in a cutting dahlia is much smaller than in a flower planted by dividing the tubers. In addition, cuttings are a rather complicated method, especially for beginners. Propagation by tubers is easier, but the quality of the resulting plants is often worse.

Timing for planting queen cells on cuttings

Royal tubers are planted in winter, around the first ten days of February. The timing of the work must be calculated in such a way that the rooting period of the cuttings occurs no earlier than mid-March. It is from the second half of March until the beginning of July that cuttings take root best.

On preparatory stage prepare containers and instruments: wash with soda solution, disinfect either by sterilization or using an alcohol solution. The mother tubers are sorted and the highest quality ones are selected.

Preparing the substrate and preparing the queen cells

The soil mixture for royal tubers is prepared in the fall. This can be fertile garden soil, to which a little peat is added. If the soil has not been stocked since the fall, it will have to be purchased at the store. An important point is to disinfect the soil before planting. Purchased soil may not be processed, but the garden soil may contain weed seeds, pathogenic flora and pest larvae.

There are several ways to treat the soil, the simplest and most effective of which is freezing. To do this, the soil is left on the loggia or in the courtyard for several weeks. low temperatures.

A more labor-intensive method is steaming in a water bath. Containers with soil mixture are placed on a pan of boiling water and kept for several hours. The advantage of the method is the preservation of beneficial microorganisms and the destruction of pathogenic ones.

Calcination in the oven is an old method that has long since exhausted its usefulness. Calcined soil is depleted and dehydrated, there is no pathogenic flora in it, but beneficial microorganisms will also completely die.

From modern methods Can you recommend treating the soil biologically? active drugs, which can be purchased in specialized stores.

Royal tubers are placed in a lighted place. If there is not enough light, additional lighting is carried out with lamps. Before this, the tubers are treated with fungicides or a low concentration manganese solution. To accelerate the awakening of tubers, growth stimulants and activators are used, for example, the drug "Epin".

If you buy queen cells in a store, select clean tubers without traces of putrefactive lesions and root shoots. They should not be too light or small.

Queen cells are planted in two ways:

Single planting in a container 10 cm – 20 cm high.
Group planting in a container.

When planting a single planting, it is necessary to ensure that the neck of the queen cell is above the level soil mixture. When planting in groups, the queen cells are placed in a horizontal position. The second method is less labor-intensive, but has a drawback: the roots of the tubers can get tangled.

Optimal temperature for germination of mother tubers +20°C – +25°C. The soil should not be allowed to dry out. After about three weeks, young shoots appear, and preparations for cuttings can begin.

With the appearance of the first shoots, the conditions for keeping the mother tubers change. Watering is reduced, and the temperature drops to +18°C – +21°C.

Pots for cuttings

For rooting cuttings, small containers with a height of 15 cm and a diameter of no more than 10 cm are used. Since dahlia is a heat-loving crop, greenhouse conditions are created for the cuttings. To do this, you need to prepare glass jars that will be used as a cap. Instead of glass jars you can use trimmed ones plastic bottles or tanks from under drinking water.

To root cuttings, you can purchase a home mini-greenhouse. It consists of a plastic tray with high sides, into which cassettes with soil and cuttings are placed. The top of the device is covered with a voluminous lid. The greenhouse is easy to use and designed for reusable use. Only the plant cassettes will require replacement.

Caring for cuttings

Cuttings are performed when the shoots on the mother plant (usually there are two of them) reach 7 cm - 10 cm. They are cut at an angle clean tool: kitchen or stationery knife. After cutting, a few millimeters of shoot should remain at the base of the queen cell; in this case, forcing the cuttings will continue continuously. Each cutting is buried in a well-moistened soil substrate, after which it is necessary to take care of the growing conditions.

Spraying and watering

During the period when the cuttings are in greenhouse conditions, it is necessary to monitor the level of soil moisture. The soil should not be allowed to dry out, as waterlogging will lead to the development of fungal diseases. To prevent the appearance of fungus, airing is carried out daily, for which the lids are removed from the containers for half an hour.

To speed up rooting, before planting, the cuttings are dipped in a solution of the drug “Kornevin” or in a self-prepared solution: 5 ml of honey/100 ml of aloe juice/1 liter of water.

Temperature and light mode

The cuttings will need additional illumination with fluorescent lamps for two hours in the morning and evening hours. The optimal temperature during the rooting period is +20°C. After approximately 10 - 12 days, the first roots appear on the cuttings. At this time, the greenhouse caps must be removed so that the planting material can adapt to room conditions content. With the coming active growth the plants are transplanted into larger containers, and after 10 ten days the first mineral fertilizing.

Propagation by seeds

Reproduction of dahlias by seeds is carried out to obtain new specimens with the exception of maintaining species characteristics from perennial mother bush. Seeds are also propagated annual crops dark-leaved and dwarf species.

We prepare seeds

If the goal is to obtain a new variety of dahlias, the seeds are purchased at the store. Most often, they are already prepared for planting and etched with special solutions in industrial conditions. All that remains is to soak the seeds and plant them in containers.

If you want to get a variety that is already in the garden, you can prepare the seeds. For this purpose, inflorescences with almost ripe seeds are cut off and left to ripen (ripen) in a dry and warm room. After ripening, the seeds are removed, dried and packaged for storage until March, when planting will take place.

Preparing soil and pots for planting seeds

In the northern regions and middle lane Dahlias are grown as seedlings. Containers are prepared for seedlings and filled with sandy loam soil. Sprinkle the planted seeds with a layer of sand, which is disinfected in advance by calcination.

With the appearance of one or two true leaves, the seedlings are picked in separate containers with a height of 15 cm - 20 cm and a diameter of 8 cm - 10 cm. Picking can also be carried out in spacious boxes, maintaining a distance between plants of at least 7 cm. Nutrient soil is prepared in the container for picking from loamy soil, humus and sand in a ratio of 2:2:1.

Before planting, the seeds are pickled in a manganese solution for 15 minutes, then washed and quickly planted. Embedding into the soil is carried out to a depth of 5 mm - 1 cm.

Planting and caring for crops

After picking, the seedlings are fed complex fertilizers. Flowers are kept in pots until May, and only after that they are transferred to a greenhouse before the end of the month. This is due to the fact that for dahlias subzero temperatures are destructive, they simply will not survive the return of spring frosts.

From mid-June, dahlias are planted in open ground. At this time, the plants are already beginning to budding, but the crop tolerates replanting when the temperature stabilizes.

Standard care for dahlias includes:

moderate and regular watering;
loosening and timely removal of weeds;
fertilizing;
pinching - pinching shoots to form a bush.

Ten days after planting and before flowering, fertilizers are applied to the dahlias every two weeks. Considering the late date of planting in open ground, fertilizing begins at the stage of growing in pots during the period of active growth.

They contribute organic solutions from mullein or chicken droppings. For abundant flowering brought under dahlias nitrogen fertilizers: urea or ammonium nitrate. Experienced flower growers It is recommended to alternate organic and mineral fertilizers to get maximum results.

Pruning of bushes is carried out immediately after the plant has adapted to a permanent place and until the end of the growing season. All side shoots and part of the buds are pinched. The flower stalk of dahlias usually consists of three inflorescences, from which the bud on the shortest stem is removed. The lower leaves are also removed to provide light access to the tubers.

Rejection of dahlias planted with seeds is carried out in the first season. Usually, out of a hundred plants, no more than five remain worthy of bearing the name of the variety.

Reproduction of dahlias by stepsons

Reproduction by stepsons is a method rarely used in dahlias. Correct name- propagation by sports, but since the lateral branches are sprouted for the procedure, this name has stuck. The method is used to breed new types of dahlias.

An unusual branch is found on a bush, with atypical of this variety signs. These branches are called sports. From the sport, cut a stalk 9 cm - 12 cm long and plant it in a pot with moistened soil. Since sports usually appear at the end of the growing season, the cuttings are overwintered in a pot at home.

In order for the plant to go into winter, watering is gradually reduced from the end of October, and increased again in February. In March nitrogen fertilizing, planted in open ground with dahlias obtained from cuttings or tubers.

There are several ways to propagate dahlias, they all have their advantages and disadvantages. But whatever method you prefer, remember that dahlias are responsive plants; they will definitely respond to your care with abundant flowering.

Cuttings of dahlias is the most effective and widespread method of propagation. For queen cells, it is better to use root tubers grown from early cuttings or cuttings from the previous year. The healthy, most viable clones of each variety are selected. Clonal selection of queen cells makes it possible to maintain and often improve the characteristics of each variety.

For early cuttings, queen cells are planted in the second half of February on a greenhouse rack. If there is additional lighting, they are planted in January. Cuttings without additional illumination usually work poorly. Royal root tubers are prepared in the same way as for propagation by division. Healthy, passed preventative treatment root tubers are planted in the soil of the rack or in pots, covered with structural fertile soil to 2/3 of the height. Until the eyes awaken and shoots 1–2 cm long develop, plants can be kept in limited light and an air temperature of 20–25°C. Water the queen cells moderately. With further development of shoots, plants require maximum illumination. The air temperature is reduced to 12 – 15°C. Watering the queen cells is stopped, replacing them with frequent moderate spraying. These measures reduce the rate of growth of shoots in length and prevent them from stretching. Dense shoots with shortened internodes take root faster and better. Plants developing from such cuttings are more early dates usually begin to form root tubers High Quality.

Fertile soil is poured in a layer of 10 - 12 cm, and washed on top river sand layer of 3 - 4 cm. It is better for rooting to use perlite with a granule size of 3 - 5 mm, which provides both sufficient moisture and maximum air supply necessary for the formation of callus and rapid development roots. In addition, perlite creates more sterile conditions and cuttings are less susceptible to fungal diseases. At later cuttings (late April - early May), it is better to use a mixture of perlite with well-weathered peat as a substrate, adding 2 - 3 parts of peat to each part. This contributes to less damage to young roots when transplanting cuttings and better rooting. The substrate is leveled, lightly compacted and moistened with water.

For cuttings, use shoots that have reached 6–10 cm in length, with two to three pairs of leaves. If there is a sufficient number of mother plants, the shoots are broken off with the heel and cuttings are taken. This technique reduces the number of cuttings taken from the queen cells and weakens the latter. However, well-stored, high-quality root clubs are grown from such cuttings. The flowers that develop from them have longer flowering shoots, are larger and brighter in color. Plants in general are more viable. With proper culture management, weakened queen cells are not used for further cultivation. When there is a limited number of queen cells of any particular variety, the cuttings are not pulled out with the heel, but an oblique cut is made with a razor blade along the ring formation of the stem at the point of contact with the tuber. Half of the heel remains on the cut cuttings, and the other half remains on the tuber, where after a short period of time two new shoots begin to develop. This is especially important for valuable varieties with poor shoot-forming ability.

When cuttings, shoots are regularly cut off, preventing them from overgrowing. Overgrown shoots not only significantly weaken the mother plant, but also take root worse. Plants developing from cuttings taken from second-order (sometimes first-order) shoots, as a rule, do not produce high-quality root tubers. Often such plants do not form a root tuber at all, becoming overgrown with a beard of fleshy small roots, and die in the first months of storage. It is advisable to use 12–15 cuttings from one queen cell, no more than 20. Use more cuttings leads to the cultivation of inferior plants, and individual varieties with such reproduction they quickly lose their varietal qualities and degenerate.

The cuttings are planted to a depth of 2–3 cm, obliquely, at a distance of at least 5 cm from one another. No more than 350 – 400 cuttings are placed per 1 m2. Thickening impairs air exchange, which often leads to plant loss. The soil temperature in the first 7 - 10 days should be maintained within 20 - 22 ° C, and the air temperature - 17 - 19 ° C. The cuttings are sprayed with water several times and covered with synthetic film or frames on top. If necessary, the shelter is raised for a short time for ventilation. The cuttings are protected from direct sunlight, but remember that sufficient light intensity is necessary for the formation of callus and roots. At correct modes 5–6 days after planting, no wilting of the cuttings is observed. At this time, in cloudy weather, they are sprayed once a day in the morning.

Planting and propagation of this representative of the flora must be carried out according to certain rules. You can grow dahlias by propagating the tuber, the so-called “dividing” (nest of tubers) or from seeds.

Reproduction of dahlias by dividing a nest of tubers

Root tubers grow from the root collar of the central shoot. Propagation of dahlias by cutting tubers is carried out in spring or autumn. In spring, renewal buds are more visible, which allows the division procedure to be carried out with greater accuracy. If the root tubers are divided in the fall, then the cuts made are treated with drugs against diseases and only after that the planting material is stored. ON THE PICTURE: A nest of dahlia tubers prepared for division.

How to properly divide a nest of tubers:

Dahlias are dug up. The shoot with root tubers is cut off, leaving a stump 5 to 10 cm high, and the root system is washed to remove any remaining soil.
The cut must be done very sharp knife. Before dividing each plant, the blade must be disinfected using fire or soaking in a strong solution of potassium permanganate.
The stem is cut in half lengthwise so that renewal buds remain on both sides.
Each half is divided into two or more parts. In this case, each division should have at least one bud and 2–3 root tubers. There is no need to leave any more tubers. Large root system will not receive enough nutrition and the bush will develop more slowly.
IMPORTANT: Do not leave tubers without renewal buds - without buds, the tubers are useless and can be thrown away . This applies to both purchased dahlias and those grown in your own garden.

Propagation of dahlias by delenka tubers is practiced more often than other methods. It is quite simple and gives almost 100% survival rate of plants.

Growing dahlias from tubers - cutting sprouts

Propagation of dahlias by cuttings occurs in the following order:

Selected root tubers are placed in individual containers half filled with nutrient substrate. They are sprinkled with earth on top so that a third of the tuber remains outside.
The containers are transferred to a well-lit room with a temperature of +20°C.
Plants are provided with regular soil moisture. It is important to avoid stagnation of water so as not to provoke rotting.
When the height of the sprouts is 5–10 cm, they are carefully broken out at the base (cut ones take root worse).
Separated dahlia cuttings are planted in small pots for growing.
When consistently warm weather sets in, the mature seedlings are moved to permanent place in the garden.

ON THE PICTURE:

Growing dahlias from tubers followed by cuttings is the fastest and most obvious method of propagation.

Video: propagation of dahlias by tubers and shoots

Growing dahlias from seeds

Growing dahlias from seeds is practiced for obtaining new varieties, propagating dwarf dahlias, or for growing as annual plants, if you organize excavation and proper storage root tubers was difficult.

ON THE PICTURE: Dahlia seedlings, ready for planting in individual pots.

You can grow dahlias from seeds following the plan:

At the end of February - March, dahlia seeds are sown in containers with prepared soil.
Grown seedlings dive into individual pots(you can use peat, or better yet, coconut tablets).
Grow in a warm, bright room until the end of May.
At the end of May, they are planted in open ground.

NOTE: Growing dahlias from seeds allows you to get flowering bush already in the first season, but the tubers of such a plant will not have time to form before frost (this is especially true in the central zone of Russia, to the southern border of the Voronezh region). If you want to save the plant, dig it up BEFORE the first frost and keep in a cool, bright room at a temperature of +5 to +8 ° C in a small container (an ordinary plastic bucket can also be used). Upper vegetative part may remain green or partially dry out; there is no need to cut it off completely. Keep the substrate slightly moist until spring. In early spring protect against premature growth. Plant the bush only when the soil warms up to +15°C.

Flower growers are happy to see colorful and lovely dahlia inflorescences in their backyard flower garden. According to legend, this charming flower grew up on the site of the last fire, which died out during the onset of the ice storm. Its tubers were able to be well preserved under the ice, and after the retreat of the ice cap to give their first sprouts, multiplying over time and delighting us today with their lovely flowering. Perhaps that is why dahlias are considered a symbol of the all-conquering power of life.

Today there is a wide variety of forms and color range dahlia. Small and large, spherical and cactus... There are many of them, and each of them is capable of pleasing the eye, enjoying their beauty and unique aroma.

Dahlias bloom profusely in an elevated and well-lit place, in nutritious soil with sufficient moisture. But in order to get good result, it is not at all necessary to buy fresh seeds from year to year and grow them, as they say, “from scratch.” Today we will talk about how to store dahlia tubers, how to prepare them for planting, and we will also dwell in more detail on the process of cutting dahlias, which allows us to obtain more planting material and rejuvenate old plants.

Proper preparation of tubers for wintering

So, the flowering season of your dahlias is already over, and now you need to properly prepare the tubers for wintering. After the first autumn frost, when the dahlia bushes begin to freeze and take on an unsightly dark appearance, the shoots must be cut at a height of 15 cm from the soil. After this, take a bayonet shovel and carefully so as not to damage underground part, dig around the bush on all sides and slowly remove the tubers from the ground.

Carefully clean them of any remaining soil, being careful not to damage the surface. After you have thus dug up the tubers of all your dahlias, pour water into a large bowl and gently rinse the rhizomes. Prepare a bright solution of potassium permanganate and place the tubers in a container for half an hour. Experienced flower growers recommend not to miss this moment, contrary to the existing opinion that tubers with soil residues are better preserved in basement until spring. However, washing with water followed by treatment in a solution of potassium permanganate helps to destroy pathogens that live in the soil!!!

After the dahlia tubers have stood in the potassium permanganate solution, you need to select them and turn them upside down with the rhizomes facing up and give them time to dry thoroughly naturally.

Carefully inspect the rhizomes of the tubers and carefully remove any of them that have undergone rotting or mechanical damage. Treat the cut areas with powder charcoal. Experienced gardeners It is recommended to separate such tubers from healthy ones and store them in a separate container.

Place them in containers in one row and sprinkle with pine sawdust. This promotes free breathing of the rhizomes and prevents them from drying out. If you live in a city apartment, you can store prepared tubers in boxes on the balcony.
There is another way to store tubers - waxing. This method allows you to store dug tubers even in warm room with high humidity.

But to use this method storage, you need to slightly change the method of preparing tubers for waxing. First, you will need to remove the stems right down to the bud belt. Then remove all damage with a sharp knife and divide the tubers into parts, focusing on root collars. Rinse all the resulting planting material with plain water and dip it in a solution of potassium permanganate for 15 minutes.

After all parts have dried well naturally, treat them thoroughly with paraffin as follows:

heat the paraffin in a water bath,

prepare a container with cold water,

dip the prepared parts of the tubers in hot paraffin and immediately transfer them to cold water,

spread a cotton cloth on the table and lay out the tubers to dry,

place the prepared paraffin tubers in plastic bag and sprinkle them with dry peat,

Tie the bags tightly and store them in a convenient place in your room.

Tubers prepared using this method are well preserved throughout the winter. Before planting, it is not recommended to remove the paraffin shell, but to plant it in the ground in the same form.

How to create favorable conditions for germination of tubers?

It is not at all difficult to germinate well-preserved dahlia tubers - you just need to take them out of storage and transfer them to the conditions room temperature. But, if after inspection you find damage, then you should definitely remove it with the tip of a knife and treat it with brilliant green. Let the tubers dry thoroughly, place them in low boxes in one row and sprinkle with a little substrate prepared in equal proportions from peat and sand.

If there is such a possibility, then favorable conditions Coconut fiber is used to germinate tubers. Plant dahlia tubers in it without immersing the upper part of the root collar, on which the regenerating buds are located. Water the substrate generously, making sure that the water does not get directly onto the root tubers.

Containers must be placed on sunny window. The most favorable temperature for germination is +22 - 24 degrees Celsius.

Spray periodically top part tubers with water at room temperature from a spray bottle, which stimulates the development of shoots from the buds, which are located on the root collar.

As soon as you notice that the shoots have begun to move and grow, it is recommended to reduce the frequency of spraying and lower the storage temperature to +16*C. To obtain high-quality shoots that will be suitable for dahlia cuttings, root tubers need to increase daylight hours. For this purpose, as a rule, phytolamps or fluorescent lamps are used, placing them above the plants at a distance of 40 cm.

Cuttings of dahlias - methods and rules

After 2-3 weeks, you will notice how shoots with internodes will begin to develop from the buds. When the height of the shoots is at least 10 centimeters, you can begin the procedure of cutting dahlias.

The procedure for cutting dahlias can be carried out in two ways:

Cut with the edge of a knife.

Break out with a piece of root tuber.

More effective way cuttings from dahlias is the second option, because cuttings obtained by breaking them out take root faster.

However, both methods are good, as long as the process itself is effective. Of course, more developed and powerful shoots take root much faster and develop well.

So, carefully separate the shoot, capturing a small part of the rhizome. Please ensure that when cutting dahlias, the cutting line is located under the leaf node and at a distance of approximately 5 mm from the leaves. This way you will be able to achieve faster root formation.

If the shoots are located at a close distance on the tuber, it is recommended to first cut off the entire group, and then carefully divide them into petioles.

After the cutting procedure is completed, carefully remove their lower leaves and sprinkle the bases with Kornevin. Now transplant the workpieces into containers with substrate, carefully compacting the soil at the base. The planting density should be carried out in such a way that the leaves of the cuttings do not touch each other. Cover the container plastic film and set aside for rooting in a warm and lighted place. As soon as you notice that there is a lot of condensation on the film, remove it, carefully wipe it, water the cuttings, and cover it again with dry film. Over time, you will be able to watch new shoots begin to emerge from the mother plant, which you can also use for cuttings after a few weeks.

Transplanting cuttings into separate pots

After your cuttings have completely taken root, remove the cover, and after a few weeks you can begin the most exciting process - replanting into separate small pots. During planting, the cuttings must be lowered into the substrate to the level lower leaves. If your cuttings are tall enough, you can provide supports for them and carefully tie them.

Now take the pots with cuttings to indoor balcony and provide them with a temperature of +17*C - the process of gradually preparing the plant for open conditions. Do not forget to periodically water and spray them, feed them 1-2 times a month with mineral and organic fertilizers.

Planting cuttings in open ground

The period of possible night frosts has already passed, and our plants are already fully prepared to decorate your flower garden. Around the end of May, you can begin gardening work.

Dig holes for the prepared plants, water them generously and install supports for the dahlias. It is important to install supports before planting, not after. This way you will be able to avoid possible mechanical damage to the root.

During planting, the plants must be lowered into the hole to the level of the first pair of developed leaves. By this point, your plants should already have a well-developed root system, so there is no need to worry about accidentally destroying them during replanting. earthen lump– it’s not worth it.

Dahlias are beautiful flower, they tolerate the training process well and can very quickly adapt to new conditions.

You have already completed the process of cutting dahlias, planted the plants in open ground in your favorite flower garden, and now all you have to do is properly care for your pets, so that they can soon delight you with their variety of abundant flowering. For your young dahlias you need to provide standard care: periodic watering followed by loosening the soil and regular weeding.

Propagation of dahlias by green cuttings. By using the method of green cuttings of dahlias, you can obtain a large amount of planting material for the new season, as well as rejuvenate old plants.

To obtain cuttings of dahlia tubers, you need to plant them for germination at the end of February. At this time, dormant buds located on the root collar are ready to activate their development.

Preparing and planting dahlia tubers
The first thing you need to do is carefully examine the dahlia root tubers. Very large specimens can be divided into several parts. Each resulting division should contain part of the root collar with 2-3 dormant buds and several fleshy tubers.

The substrate for germinating root tubers can be prepared from sand or sawdust and peat taken from equal shares. You can also use coconut fiber. Dahlia root tubers are planted in it without deepening the upper part of the root collar, on which the regenerating buds are located. After planting, the substrate is watered abundantly, trying to prevent water from entering the root tubers.

Favorable conditions for germination of dahlia root tubers
Containers with root tubers are placed in a sunny window. The optimal temperature for their germination is about 22C.

The upper part of the tubers must be periodically sprayed with water using a spray bottle. This will stimulate the development of shoots from regenerating buds located on the root collar.

As soon as they are activated and begin to grow, the frequency and rate of watering is reduced. It is necessary to allow the substrate to dry out a little to prevent rotting. From this point on, the temperature should be reduced to 16C by placing the planting containers, for example, on a glazed balcony.

To obtain high-quality shoots suitable for cuttings, they will need to be illuminated, increasing the daylight hours by 10-12 hours. For these purposes, you can use a fluorescent lamp or a specialized phytolamp. The artificial light source should be located above the plants at a height of 40 cm.

Cuttings of dahlias
After 2-3 weeks, shoots with several internodes will develop from the buds. Their height will be about 10-15 cm. At this time, you can begin cuttings.

Cuttings can be harvested in two ways - break them out with a piece of root tuber or cut them with a sharp knife. Cuttings obtained using the first method take root much faster. First of all, you need to pay attention to powerful, more developed shoots. They take root much better and develop faster.

So, using a sharp knife, the shoot is carefully separated from the root tuber, capturing a small area of the rhizome. The cut line should be located along the leaf node, 5 mm away from the leaf petioles. This will promote accelerated root formation.

If the shoots are located close to each other on the root tuber, it is convenient to first cut off the entire group and then divide it into individual petioles.

With a limited amount of dahlia planting material, weak shoots can also be taken from cuttings. The main rule: when cutting cuttings, capture at least a small fragment of the rhizome.

In the process of preparing cuttings, you need to remember about the safety of root tubers. In their rejuvenated state, they will replant and produce flowers. Therefore, parts need to be separated from them meaningfully and rationally, and preferably away from the root collar.

After cutting the green petioles, the lower leaves are removed from them. The bases of the petioles should be powdered with a root formation stimulator, for example, “Kornevin”. After this, they are placed to a depth of 2 cm in a container with a well-moistened substrate of a similar composition. In addition, perlite can be used as it.

The soil at the base of the cuttings is carefully compacted for improved contact with the substrate. During simultaneous landing large quantity cuttings can be planted in a common container. In this case, they are placed obliquely (at an angle of 45 degrees). The planting density should be such that the leaves of adjacent petioles do not touch.

Next, the planted cuttings are covered plastic bag and put it in a warm (25C), well-lit place. Periodically, as the substrate dries, the cover is removed, the cuttings are ventilated and watered, and inside film, condensation is removed.

Over time, new shoots grow from the axillary buds of the mother plant, which after a few more weeks can be used to cut the next batch of cuttings.

So green cuttings dahlia planting can be continued right up to April, cutting cuttings not only from shoots growing on the tuber root, but also from already rooted cuttings of the previous cut.

Again, you need to remember that some of the shoots for flowering must be preserved on the mother tuber root. After cutting the cuttings, these plants are kept in a cool (up to 16C), bright room, where they will remain until planted in the flower garden. If necessary, supports are installed for highly developed shoots.

Caring for cuttings
After final rooting of the cuttings, the polyethylene cover is removed. After a few more weeks, they can already be planted in separate small pots (9 cm in diameter).

When transplanting, they are buried in the substrate to the level of the lower leaves. If the cuttings become very elongated during the rooting process, they will need to be tied to supports so that they do not break or bend before planting in the flower garden.

If mother plants were used for cuttings different varieties, then it is better to mark the cuttings.

Cuttings transplanted into pots are placed in cooler conditions (on a closed balcony) with a temperature within 17C. Here they are kept until transplanted into the garden. During this period, the plants must be gradually hardened, accustomed to open conditions.

You can’t immediately expose plants to straight lines. Sun rays, you also need to get used to them gradually.

Dahlia seedlings will need regular but moderate watering and spraying. Before planting, they need to be fed twice (once a month) with organic and mineral complex fertilizers.

Planting dahlias in a flower garden

Dahlias obtained from cuttings can be planted in open ground when the threat of return and night frosts is guaranteed to have passed. This is best done at the end of May.

Before planting, the holes are watered abundantly, and supports are installed near them. When installing them after planting, there is a risk of mechanical damage to the roots.

When planting, plants are buried to the level of the first pair of developed leaves. As a rule, by this time the seedlings should have formed a well-developed root system, so if the earthen ball collapses during transplantation, it’s okay. Dahlias easily tolerate transplantation, quickly adapting to a new place.